By MarEx 2017-01-17 18:17:03
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and American Society for Travel Agents (ASTA) have joined the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance to help travelers recognize and avoid purchasing the illegal wildlife products.
Together, the Associations serve more than 25 million travelers annually.
The U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance is a public-private partnership in which corporate and non-profit member organizations, including WildAid and World Wildlife Fund. The Alliance has just released its “Know Before You Go / Ask Before You Buy” digital toolkit, which provides the resources designed to engage travelers in the fight to stop wildlife trafficking.
As new members of the Alliance, CLIA and ASTA have made commitments to distribute wildlife trafficking educational material to their member companies, to encourage members to adopt policies that support the Alliance’s mission and to lend the voice of their vast networks to speak on this critical issue.
Efforts in the travel industry come at a critical time, as wildlife around the world is being pushed towards extinction by illegal poaching. An unprecedented global demand for exotic wildlife products has triggered an industrial-scale killing spree of endangered species like elephants, rhinos, tigers and other endangered animals.
Wildlife trafficking is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry. Money from the illegal wildlife trade has been linked to organized crime, drug lords, gangs and corrupt governments.
Cindy A’Doust, President and CEO, CLIA, said “CLIA has been actively engaged in efforts to reduce or eliminate trade in illegal wildlife, and we are excited to continue those efforts by joining the U.S. Wildlife Trafficking Alliance. CLIA is proud to increase awareness among crew and the more than 25 million passengers that will sail this year.”
“Governments and organizations around the globe are collaborating in unprecedented ways to combat wildlife trafficking. Powerful as these efforts are, the real power – and the hope for elephants, rhinos, tigers and other treasured wildlife on the brink – lies in the hands of consumers,” said Bryan Arroyo, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s International Affairs Program.
“Educating travelers, so they don’t unwittingly contribute to the poaching and wildlife trafficking epidemic, is vital to ending this grave threat to our planet’s most precious legacy.”
Over the past year, the Alliance’s network of partners has expanded across the corporate and nonprofit sectors, including leading companies in travel and tourism, e-commerce, fashion and jewelry, communications, non-governmental organizations and others. A full list of Alliance members and corporate commitments is available here.
